Improving the metal fabricating industry through shared knowledge

When research information and data gathered through machine learning on the shop floor are combined and shared with those that make things happen on the shop floor, the industry and the supply chain benefit. tadamichi/Getty Images

Academic and corporate researchers continue to learn about sheet metal behaviors through ongoing research and the use of new test methods and information technologies, gaining new insight into the related behaviors of materials, tools, and processes.

On the shop floor, machine-learning applications provide a microscope into the effects of our decisions on waste and product quality. Both formal research and measured production activities in metal fabricating facilities are critically important to expanding our knowledge of materials and adopting processes and technologies that support successful forming.

The Contributions of Research

I attended a forming research symposium recently that focused on the topic of digital image correlation (DIC). Corporate and academic researchers presented a wealth of valuable information and new discoveries about both DIC and the sheet materials they tested. Presentations highlighted standards issues, best testing procedures, interpreting results, and discoveries about sheet material properties.

At my table, and at several others, attendees asked how some of the more esoteric findings applied to forming components on a plant floor. With research, the immediate practical benefits of newfound knowledge aren’t always obvious. Discoveries, however, can compound with other findings to change how we read and present test information. This, in turn, contributes to improved production practices.

The Contributions of Machine-learning Technologies

Machine-learning predictive analytics technologies provide us with a virtual microscope into the unseen world of sheet metal forming. Each property, discovery, and advance in testing can influence how we form components. These things don’t live in a vacuum. It falls on metal fabricators to understand advances in knowledge and measure their impact on forming results.

With today’s sensors and analytical technologies, we can capture material property test results on the shop floor and follow our materials through production. Greater insight into the variability of material properties allows us to better specify the properties of the materials we should receive. The more we understand about the properties of our materials, the better we can solve forming problems like splits and wrinkles.

We also can make tools and equipment also can perform better when we understand the influence of clearances, cycle times, stroke velocity, and other variables on the materials we use. When we monitor press tonnage, vibration, energy consumption, scrap rates, lubricant properties, and maintenance activities, we can better maintain and operate equipment. This leads to improved financial efficiency and supports sustainability.

Why Shared Research Is Important

Efficient and Reliable Information. Driven by demand, we conduct research to learn more about our tools, materials, and manufacturing processes. Research is a disciplined and explicitly defined process, and established research methods provide confidence that research projects are relevant, timely, and reliable.

Researchers must support experiments in a controlled environment and with a tightly managed project scope. A disciplined design of experiments provides a systematic approach to plan, conduct, analyze, and interpret controlled tests to ensure efficiency and reliable results that manufacturers can trust.

Improved Problem-solving Skills. Manufacturing research frequently focuses on expanding knowledge to help solve problems encountered on the plant floor and during the service life of the product. Research analysis is used to:

• Identify recurring production and service-life issues.
• Find the causes of identified issues.
• Identify and recommend solutions.
• Provide decision support for when and how to take action.
• Monitor the outcomes of implemented solutions.

Updated Rules. Sheet metal forming is a very old profession full of rules of thumb that have become entrenched among artisans and lasted well beyond their usefulness.

The past 25 years have brought unprecedented change in the materials and technologies used in metal forming, and that means we must challenge our old rules. New rules are evolving, based on disciplined experimentation and rigorous review of experiences.

Strong Supply Chain. To gain financial efficiency and sustainability, we must share new knowledge across supply chains to support best practices and the health of our suppliers. However, competitiveness, company cultures, and antitrust regulation make information sharing difficult. Manufacturers approach collaboration cautiously to prevent even the appearance of illegal business practices. While this is prudent, it can also prevent efficient supply chains and hinder domestic industrial competitiveness.

Sheet metal forming is undergoing some of the most dramatic changes in its long history. Many of today’s components are manufactured by small to midsize companies with limited resources for training in new materials and technologies. Intense global competition in manufacturing demands that the manufacturing industry and government review antitrust legislation to:

• Protect the public interest from fraudulent business practices.
• Support open business practices to allow for sharing of nonproprietary innovations.

Adopting open business practices for nonproprietary research and technology will help support a strong and efficient supply chain.